Connected

Our social media campaign has exploded this year, with more than 21,000 people from all over the world “liking” us on Facebook. Nearly 3,000 people are following us on Twitter. We have more than 300 videos on our YouTube channel. There are so many ways now for the public to connect with us. For many, local community events are still the way they learn about B’nai B’rith, our reach and our strength. And that’s a great nod to our tradition and the power of face-to-face connections. But social media has allowed us to exponentially grow—bringing into the fold new people who now know us and what we do.

Click the above image to view the map and timeline

B’nai B’rith Magazine continues to offer in-depth, insightful articles you can’t find any place else. And once again, we were recognized for our efforts. B’nai B’rith won a first place Rockower Award from the American Jewish Press Association for a cover story on Jews in the civil rights movement. Our story on the Jews of Berlin won a bronze award in the cultural tourism category from the American Society of Travel Writers.

The B’nai B’rith Impact: Around the World and Through History

It’s easier than ever to see the scope of B’nai B’rith’s 17 decades of work: two new impressive print pieces developed in 2013 demonstrate B’nai B’rith’s impact since our founding.

Our new map and timeline, “The B’nai B’rith Impact: Around the World and Through History,” chronicles B’nai B’rith’s achievements since 1843. We also published a commemorative book—“U.S. Presidents Salute B'nai B'rith: Building a Better World.” We have compiled accolades from U.S. presidents from Grover Cleveland to Barack Obama—meaning presidents spanning the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries have recognized and noted the B’nai B’rith spirit.

We were pleased to unveil a new tribute video this year—a reminder of all B’nai B’rith has done over the last 170 years to make the world a better place.

Op-eds and letters in such publications as The Washington Post, The Times of Israel, EUobserver, Fox News.com and JTA help get our name and message out to a broad audience. Reporters on all beats continue to seek us out for our in-depth knowledge on a wide range of topics.

B’nai B’rith was built at the local level and we are still proud that our local regions host vibrant programs. From parlor receptions to Project H.O.P.E. (Help Our People Everywhere), which provides holiday foods to impoverished elderly citizens, and from golf fundraisers to tribute brunches, our local communities are active. Local B’nai B’rith communities and regions held weekly lunch events with inspiring speakers as well as a Day of Learning, where a scholar presents an issue and participants then discuss it. New college scholarship programs have been launched to help local high school students pay some college costs. B’nai B’rith Shabbat dinners were held as well as cooperative programs with other ethnic and religious groups.

Tribute Dinners and Awards
B’nai B’rith recognized the accomplishments of key community and corporate leaders from around the world in tributes and award ceremonies designed to highlight their good works at the community and global levels. These exceptional individuals and companies are honored for their community service, dedicated leadership and commitment to improving the lives of the individuals they serve. They have made their mark in the areas of health care, pharmaceuticals, business and real estate. Awards this year went to Major League Baseball Commissioner Allan H. “Bud” Selig and Michael Shepherd, chairman and CEO of Bank of the West and of BancWest Corporation, among others.